Brad Keselowski remains confident he can win at Talladega, but the NASCAR America crew is skeptical he can pull off the victory. However, finishing in the top five is manageable and should be enough for him to move on.
Forty-two cars are entered into the Sprint Cup Series’ Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Two cars will not make the field.
Ryan Reed, who competes in the Xfinity Series, will attempt to make his Cup debut in the No. 99 for Roush Fenway Racing.Jeffrey Earnhardt will drive the No. 83 for BK Racing in his first attempt to start at Talladega.
While on the entry list, Josh Wise‘s team has withdrawn from the race.
Brad Keselowski won the May race at the 2.66-mile track. His Team Penske teammate Joey Logano is the defending winner of the fall race.
Keselowski is the only repeat winner (three wins) in the last 11 Talladega races.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. said in the latest edition of the Dale Jr. Download podcast released Monday that his rehabilitation from a concussion is "going along as planned" and that he has been driving a simulator but still misses competing in a race car most.
Earnhardt Jr. talked for about eight minutes at the start of the podcast, praising the efforts of his substitute driverAlex Bowman, who finished seventh at theHollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.
Junior added, however, that he wished he could have been the one driving the No. 88Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
"We've been running around and trying to do everything we're supposed to be doing outside the car while we're not able to drive just yet," Earnhardt Jr. said. "Boy, today (Sunday) was a day where I would have liked to have been in there for sure running that high side. That's really enjoyable."
He added that he's "still working on all my rehabilitation and doing all the stuff the doctors have been asking me to do. All of that is going along as planned, no setbacks."
The simulator work is part of the "outside the car" activities that have kept him busy in recent weeks, along with sponsor appearances and a visit toMartinsville Speedwaylast week to help unveil the track's new lights.
"I've been doing that (simulator), which has been a lot of fun," Earnhardt Jr. said.Still, it's no substitute for actually taking the wheel of a race car. Earnhardt Jr. said he will be atTalladega SuperspeedwayFriday through Sunday, and it will be difficult to simply watch; Bowman again will fill in for Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88.
"There'll be a part of me each lap wanting to be in there making decisions as far as what's going on in the draft," Junior said.
It extends one of the sport's great streaks that was in serious jeopardy. An Earnhardt has started every race at Talladega since 1980, with Dale Earnhardt and son Dale Earnhardt Jr. collecting 16 total wins at the 2.66-mile track during their respective careers (10 for Earnhardt, six for Earnhardt Jr.)
Earnhardt Jr. will not drive in Sunday's race as he continues to recover from the effects of a concussion suffered earlier this season. Enter Jeffrey Earnhardt, Earnhardt's grandson and Earnhardt Jr.'s nephew. By putting him in the No. 83, BK Racing ensured Earnhardt will start in the 40-car field (43 cars are on the entry list) because the No. 83 team has a Charter.
"I'm really excited to drive the No. 83 Starter Toyota Camry for the fall race at Talladega," Earnhardt said in a team release. "It's my first Cup Series race at Talladega, my first race with BK Racing, the first time anyone from our family competes in a Toyota and it's the 25th anniversary of my grandfather's victory at Talladega. Having this opportunity with an iconic American partner like Starter is an incredible honor. I can't remember being so pumped up for a race and sincerely appreciate our friends at Starter for their support."
Doug Richert, who was crew chief for Earnhardt Sr. during the 'Intimidator's' first title in 1980, will serve as Jeffrey Earnhardt's crew chief.
"I'm looking forward to once again returning to the track as crew chief with an Earnhardt behind the wheel," Richert said. "The Earnhardt family has played such an important part in my racing career; starting in 1978 with Dale Sr. and then winning a championship with him in 1980, it's very cool to work with the fourth generation of the family."
The Earnhardt streak since 1980 totals 73 races. Sunday's race will be 74 in a row.
Kyle Busch will have VIP guests on hand this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, fresh from a Homecoming Dance where the reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup champ played a role in making it an unforgettable moment.
Auburn (Alabama) High School students Holman Head and Taylor Johnson celebrated this weekend at homecoming after Johnson asked her longtime friend to the dance earlier this month with a NASCAR-themed proposal. Johnson decorated her car with Busch's No. 18 and a makeshift M&M's paint scheme, asking Head, "Will you race to homecoming with me?"
Busch apparently got wind of their special date and Head's status as a dedicated fan in a story first broadcast by WTVM in Columbus, Georgia. The Joe Gibbs Racingdriver arranged for a chauffeured ride to homecoming in an Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry, and surprised the couple in a personal video message.
With both students already overjoyed, Busch sweetened the gift.
"I also think that since we are racing Talladega in a couple of weeks, you two should come out and join us for the race weekend," Busch said, making plans to meet the two this weekend before the sixth of 10 races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs.
"When I saw the video I cried," Taylor's mom told WTVM. "I just want to say thank you to Kyle Busch for making their dream come true."
Chase Elliott looked like one of the drivers to beat for the better portion of Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, but things quickly took a turn for the worst.
After starting 13th, Elliott methodically made his way toward the front early, wrestling the lead from eventual race winner Kevin Harvick on Lap 169. Five laps later, Elliott relinquished the lead for a green-flag pit stop.
Immediately after, Elliott was forced to give up the lead once gain to come back down pit road for a left-rear tire rub. The problem eventually caused him to hit the wall and finish 31st.
Elliott’s crew chief, Alan Gustafson, told him over the radio during the race that he thought he knew what the problem was, but didn’t go into detail.
“I don't know if we got the left rear getting up on the race track, or something and it got into the fender and cut it down,” Elliott said of the issue after the race. “I don't know what to do man, we were trying as hard as we can. We had such a good car today (Sunday) again, and....I don't know what to do. Just keep after it and try to move on."
The rookie is now 25 points behind eighth-place Joey Logano in the Chase standings. Heading into Talladega, it’s not mathematically impossible for Elliott to advance to the Round of 8 on points, but he certainly has his back against the wall in a likely must-win scenario.
"I just will go there, and race our hearts out and try to win I guess,” Elliott said. “That's about all we can do.”
Despite another tough race following a 33rd-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway a week prior, a dejected Elliott still managed to look at the positives.
“We have something to be proud of in the way we have been running,” he added. “There are just some things we can't control. I don't know how to fix that stuff. These guys deserve better on this SunEnergy1/ NAPA team. We are bummed, but what do you do. You just have to move on."
